


Absolute Zero

by orphan_account



Category: Fallout 4
Genre: F/M, Friendship, Minor Violence, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-06-08
Updated: 2016-07-14
Packaged: 2018-07-13 21:47:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,612
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7138565
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The one time the Institute was paid a visit by a total stranger.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Where Loyalty Lies

**Author's Note:**

> My friend is in love with X6-88, so this story is for her! Feedback is appreciated!

Nothing caught X6-88 off-guard. Designed solely for missions aboveground, his training had stripped him of any emotion and transformed him into a cold-blooded killer. If it weren't for his human-like appearance, he could be a robot. But even he was shocked when a stranger made her way to the Institute.

She walks with her head held high, each step carrying her towards her purpose. Almost as if she owns the place. Father is a few steps behind her, looking slightly off-kilter. They stop in the middle of the floor and the whispers that were so prevalent begin to fade.

“Hello, everyone. I’m sure you’ve all heard rumors about an ‘intruder’ in the Institute. I am here to inform you that such rumors are false. The woman who stands before you”—he pauses as she steps forward ever so slightly—“is my mother.” 

A cacophony of hushed voices fills the giant room. X6-88 stares at Father through his sunglasses, unable to tell if this is a joke. Despite having high intelligence, X6-88 cannot come to a logical conclusion as to how a young lady—maybe late twenties—could possibly have given birth to Father, who was well beyond his twenties.

“I understand how improbable this situation is. How could someone as old as I have a mother younger than I am? But it is the truth. I realize that not all of you will believe me at first. I do not expect you to understand. However, I do ask you to treat her with respect. She is our guest.”

“How do we know she can be trusted?” Calls a voice from behind X6-88. A few others ‘yeah’ in agreement.

“She has undergone serious interrogation conducted by some of our finest minds and promised to aid us in whenever. There is no guarantee that her word is true but from what I have heard, I believe she means what she says.” The woman says nothing, only stares straight ahead. “Now if you'll excuse us, there are other matters we have to tend to.”

The crowd dispersed as the two head towards Advanced Systems. X6-88 turns in the same direction, playing with the idea of trailing the stranger. Father’s trust in her was, to X6-88, a mistake. She made it to the Institute, despite being a human, but her motivation to do so was most likely fueled by revenge or hatred. X6-88 could count on one hand the number of Commonwealth survivors that weren't apprehensive about the Institute and its synths. However, his job was to obey Father’s decisions, not to challenge his authority. Which is why the Courser found himself traveling in the opposite direction of the duo, to the Armory. Coursers had the ability to carry their weapons on them but certain items like Stimpaks and Stealth-Boys were kept there.

The sliding door opens soundlessly and as X6-88 steps into the bare room, a cheery ‘hello’ welcomes him. Had he been allowed to develop emotions like the other synths, he would have returned the greeting. Instead, he merely casts a look in the attendant’s direction. 

Traveling light was an essential aspect of survival, even though Coursers underwent vigorous strengthening programs to make them powerful and deadly assassins. Their uniforms had plenty of space to store small objects. The back of the heavily modified trench coat was fitted with a compartment that could hold a Stealth-Boy. Backpacks and bags were not only a hazard but also unnecessary.

He approaches the shelves near the wall farthest from the entrance. Some are lined with radiation-free food, others with medical supplies. Retrieval missions take up to a few hours, not days, so food is not needed. Stimpaks, however, are required for combat and X6-88 grabs a handful. And a Stealth-Boy. Invisibility had saved his ass more than once.

He leaves, the synth wishing him well on his mission, which prompts X6-88 to roll his eyes behind his sunglasses. Of course he would do ‘well’. Coursers only have one option: success. Failure was not tolerated. Rumors about those who did not complete their task suggest a memory wipe but, like death, failure was an anomaly so there was no validity in such hearsay.

“Excuse me, Unit X6-88,” comes a voice from behind, “You are to report to the Synth Retention Bureau immediately.”

The command perplexes X6-88. He had already been assigned a mission: Secure the synth, designation B1-97, and return him to the SRB. Was he being reassigned? Impossible. The Bureau made no mistakes; there could not afford it. If not, then what? This was the second time today X6-88 found himself without a reasonable explanation.

Inside the Synth Retention Bureau, Father stands in the center of the room, awaiting X6-88’s arrival. Justin Ayo, the temporary fill-in for Zimmer, the founder of the SRB, is by Father’s side. Ayo was the last Directorate the newcomer was introduced to. After the final meeting, the woman teleported aboveground, off to run errands for a scientist in BioScience. 

X6-88 enters, face expressionless. There was once a time where Father was intimidated by their blank faces and robotic voices. Now their presence was almost a comfort. They were extremely efficient and reliable, completing rigorous tasks with ease. Without them, the Institute’s operations would be conducted at a slower pace. 

“X6-88, you are aware of our new visitor, correct?” Ayo inquires.

“Yes, sir.” He nods.

“Good,” he says. “Now I realize that you have already been assigned to recover a runaway. However, I feel that there is a more pressing issue: the visitor.” X6-88 agrees silently.

“Which is why,” he continues, “you are being reassigned. As of right now, you are to spy on the newcomer and collect Intel on her.”

An unusual request, but certainly not unsurprising. Father may have told the others that he trusted her, but it was obvious to X6-88 that he was still uncertain of her position in regards to the Institute.

“Yes, sir,” he repeats. He turns to leave but Father interrupts.

“Exercise caution with the girl,” he warns. “She is capable of serious destruction. She’s already killed a Courser and she will not hesitate to do so again, should she feel threatened.” X6-88 raised his eyebrows a millimeter. _She killed a Courser,_ he thinks. _Impressive._

“One more thing before you go,” Ayo adds, putting a hand on X6-88’s shoulder. “Her name is Rose.”

“And where would I find her?”

“She was heading to Cambridge Polymer Labs, to look for a chemical,” Father answers.

If X6-88 had a choice, he’d choose retrieval. Those jobs required violence, and he was excellent at shooting. Surveillance was mind-numbing. Granted, fighting wasn't very fun—he could do it blindfolded and still emerge victorious—but it trumped spying.

A part of him was slightly intrigued by his new mission. This woman, Rose, was unlike the rest of the ‘Wealth residents. She was the first person to ever teleport inside the Institute. There had been those who came close to the Institute’s base—the C.I.T. Building—but none had ever entered. Maybe her presence would make his op interesting.

***

The blue light surrounds him as the ground rushes up to meet him. Relaying was an experience he never adjusted to. Each time he relayed, he felt strange, like he wasn't in control of his limbs. The feeling always dissipates when his feet touch the earth, but it always jars him.

The outside of the laboratory has severely deteriorated: The walls are crumbling and the front entrance is one support beam from falling apart. A body of a ghoul litters the ground, limbs splayed out in awkward angles. The wounds are fresh. Rose’s doing.

The building is not one he has experience with, which rules out his first plan. It would be foolish to search for her in an unfamiliar location. Instead, he opts for the safer option: waiting for her outside. However boring that may be. 

After patrolling the nearby area, he chooses to hide behind what once was a decent-sized tree. Unsure of what to do with his newfound free time, he pulls out his laser rifle. Considering how many battles this gun has been responsible for finishing, it’s in fair condition. The surface is marred by scratches and blood stains, cleaner that most Courser weapons. Although each Courser participated in the same training program, their experience in aboveground made each one’s methods different. X6-88 preferred his rifle to a pistol—he liked to not get blood on his uniform—but another unit preferred up close and personal. It wasn’t like the weapons mattered. Coursers were lethal killers, even in hand-to-hand combat.

His mind wanders to the woman whom Father called his mother. He may not have had a mother or father himself, but he knew what the terms meant. Something in the back of his mind gnaws at him. There is a piece of the puzzle he has yet to piece together. He knew it related to Rose, but he wasn’t sure if it was her specifically; he had never seen her before. He closes his eyes, trying to focus in on a foggy memory. The edges are smudged and he can’t make out the faces but he hears voices. His, Kellogg’s. 

Kellogg! The kid, the synth boy. His mind reels as the fuzzy details become crystal clear. Kellogg had been the one to retrieve ‘pure’ DNA. And this woman, she must have been the child’s mother. No wonder she was able to make her way to the Institute. Revenge was a powerful tool. Considering all that this woman has been through, X6-88 was impressed. She still had a lot to prove if he was supposed to trust her.

X6-88 jerks his head in the direction of a loud _bang!_ that pulls him back to reality, immediately locating Rose as the cause. She trots a few feet away and waits, arms folder over her chest. A second later, a jet of smoke shoots up into the air. 

That is certainly not the way to get into the Institute. Nor is it anything the Institute has ever created. Their smoke was a bright blue, not a steel gray. _What is she up to?_ he wonders, eyeing her cautiously.

Off in the distance, a soft whirr gradually becomes a loud buzz and a black blur dances on the edge of the Courser’s vision. He removes his sunglasses, staring in the general direction of whatever was flying towards them. 

A Vertibird, that's what it is. A pre-war military vehicle, operated by the Brotherhood of Steel, aka the Institute’s only worthy threat. The Railroad was a pain in everyone’s ass but they rarely engaged in combat. Their mission was to help runaway synths but they had no plans to eradicate them, unlike the Brotherhood. Anything that wasn't human was a threat to the Brotherhood's fragile ego.

Only members of the pathetic excuse of a military faction were granted free rides on the flying death trap. That could only mean one thing: Father’s mother was a member of the Brotherhood.


	2. Retrieve and Repeat

He should follow her. He wants to follow her. But even he knows it would be impossible. X6-88 is fast, faster than humans, but even he could not keep up with a Vertibird. Shooting her is also an option. Taking down the driver would be simple; the one in Power Armor not so much. It wasn’t impossible to defeat the Brotherhood Knight—X6-88 has had done so occasionally—but if he didn't have to, he wasn't going to waste his time or his ammunition. However, Father would be less than pleased if X6-88 were to kill his mother, even if she was literally the enemy.

He watches as the Vertibird climbs higher and higher until it ‘s nothing more than a small speck. He relays back into the Institute and reports back to Justin Ayo.

“The woman is working for the Brotherhood of Steel,” he states, voice flat. Justin Ayo is proud of the Coursers but their intimidating stares and neutral words are unnerving. Coursers don’t get angry or sad. They feel no joy after killing; it's part of their job. He admires the proficiency each Courser possesses but a small part of him is afraid of them. Thank God they’re on his side.

“Are you certain of this?” Ayo asks. He has to, even though he knows X6-88 is not capable of deceit. Why would he have a reason to lie?

“She entered a Vertibird manned by a Brotherhood soldier.” The only faction that cared about air superiority. Amusing, considering the Institute is hidden beneath the ground.

“I’ll let Father know. I suggest you finish your earlier assignment unless you can figure out a way to infiltrate their base.”

“Yes, sir.” He would rather figure out what Rose's game is, whose side she’s playing for, but sneaking into the Brotherhood is no easy feat. There was too much the Institute didn't know about their biggest enemy.

The synth he has to neutralize is situated near Lake Cochituate, not far from the beginnings of the Glowing Sea. Intel gathered on the area indicates unit B1-97 as the leader of a ragtag bunch of Raiders that have claimed the lake as their territory. Raiders. Pitiful humans who think they have a chance. Why they even bother was a mystery; they were the dictionary definition of pathetic. Not even groups of them posed any serious threat to a veteran Courser.

“X6-88, ready to relay to Lake Cochituate,” he announces to the operator of the relay. He vanishes in a flash of blue flames. The teleporter assembles and disassembles his molecules at the speed of light and drops him, slamming him into the dead earth. Relaying is the fastest and most efficient way to travel from place to place with minimum effort, but it was far from gentle. No one ever landed on their feet. A group of scientists continue to work on modifications to the relayer, but fear of malfunctions prevent them from making drastic upgrades. For now, X6-88 has to deal with the rough landings.

He brushes the dirt off his uniform and readjusts his sunglasses, slightly disoriented. The land near the lake is especially bare due to the level of radiation. The Geiger counter sewn into his sleeve ticks softly, indicating he’s not in any danger of radiation poisoning. Try as they might, the Institute has been unable to produce any Generation 3 synths with immunity to the deadly radiation. Their treatment for radiation sickness, however, is second to none.

The camp is uglier than the synthetic Gorillas in BioScience. Mirelurk carcasses serve as trophies, a tribute to their ‘strength’. Because killing a giant crab was no easy feat, apparently. If these Raiders were going to use their slain enemies as battle souvenirs, they should at least use something more menacing, like a Deathclaw.

The sun begins to transform into the moon, setting the sky on fire. X6-88 carefully surveys the run-down shacks, looking for the runaway synth. B1-97 isn’t immediately recognizable: His hair has grown out and he wears a bandana that covers the lower half of his face. The voice, however, is the same.

He could wipe out all Raiders, minus the synth, and be done in five minutes. Raiders don't think strategy; they have no plans other than to kill. Dangerous and stupid. A battle cannot be won that way. Even X6-88 develops his approach, despite his abilities.

Or he could execute his standard procedure, which involves informing the escapee of its true identity, recalling it, and dealing with whoever challenges him. Violence is avoided as much as possible—his main purpose is retrieval, not extermination—but it tends to be inevitable.

The numbers of Raiders he would have to encounter, should he choose to fight them first and then retrieve B1-97, is meager. Five or six guys, half of them asleep, make up the population. If he were facing tougher enemies in bigger numbers, he would undoubtedly pick the first plan. But such small numbers aren't worth the Fusion Cells it would take to kill them. The latter plan is more appropriate for this situation.

He strides right up to the synth, rifle in hand. There is a look of utter terror on B1-97’s face and it opens its mouth to scream but decides against it when its eyes register the uniform and the weapon.

“You’re one of _them_ ,” B1-97 whispers.

“If by ‘them’ you mean a Courser, then yes,” X6-88 responds.

“Look, man, I don't want any harm, okay? You can take whatever you want just don't kill me. Please,” he begs.

“I'm not here to kill you, I'm here to take you home.”

“Oh, that’s good, that’s—Wait. What!? ‘Take me home’? What the hell does that mean, man?”

“It means you’re going back to the Institute, where you belong, synth,” X6-88 explains robotically. He couldn't be more obvious if he tried.

“No, no, no. You clearly have me confused with somebody else. I can't be a synth; I remember my childhood. I’m human!”

“I don't care what you think you are. You are the Institute’s property and I have to bring you back.”

The synth shakes its head vigorously, muttering something unintelligible. At least it wasn't alerting its buddies. Time for the recall code.

“B1-97, initialize factory reset. Authorization beta-3-8-alpha.” The synth has no time to react before its head slumps, chin touching its chest.

A bullet whizzes past X6-88’s head. Damn. The other Raiders had finally noticed him. But from where? Another bullet flies past him, in the direction opposite where the Courser is standing. Behind him, that's where.

He aims his gun at the nearest one. Two pulls of the trigger and the Raider's body vaporizes, leaving behind a pile of blue ashes. The others nearby have no time to react before X6-88’s gun is facing in their direction. Fear of the intruder grows, but one brave idiot fires a gun at the Courser. It skims the top of his shoulder pad.

Blue beams shoot from X6-88’s rifle and slam into the Raiders. One yelps in pain, injured but not dead. X6-88 backs out of the shack and uses the wall for cover as bullets fly in all directions. He takes out two more before they locate him again. Only two remain but one of them is hurt and clutching his right side. X6-88 fires again and again until he’s the only one left standing. The air smells of burning flesh and smoke. Laser weapons didn’t leave behind bloody messes; the beams scorch flesh without piercing skin. Cleaning up ashes was easier than mopping up blood. And blood was a pain in the ass to remove from his uniform.

“This is X6-88, ready to relay with reclaimed synth B1-97,” he announces to those back at the Institute. His hand grips the unconscious synth’s shoulder as they vanish in a flash of blue lightning. The two synths materialize in the Institute. Another Courser is awaiting the runaway, ready to take the it back to the Synth Retention Bureau for its required mindwipe. X6-88 reports his success to Justin Ayo, who congratulates him on a ‘job well done’. He also informs the Courser that Father has requested to speak to him. A Courser’s work was never done.

A long, spiral staircase leads to Father’s section of the Institute. The room itself is minimalistic. Nothing extraordinary sits atop the nightstand by his bed. No paintings of giant kittens or lake houses decorate the white walls. X6-88 appreciates its simplicity.

Father sits in a cushioned chair, typing a message to Madison Li in Advanced Systems. Like Rose, she has a background with the Brotherhood of Steel, a past that makes X6-88 wary of her. The work she does is exceptional, but it doesn’t make up for her connections with the Institute’s biggest threat.

“Justin Ayo said you wanted to see me,” is X6-88’s way of greeting the Director.

“Ah, X6-88,” Father says, turning in his chair to look at the Courser. “I trust your mission was a success?”

“Yes, sir.” Small talk annoys him; he prefers to get straight to the point.

“Good, good. But that’s not why I called you for, as I’m sure you know. Earlier, you mentioned to Mr. Ayo that you saw Rose traveling in the Brotherhood’s aircraft, correct?”

“Yes, sir,” X6-88 nods.

“That is disconcerting, to say the least. How would the others react if they found out my mother, the one I allowed to enter the Institute, worked for the enemy? So, I thought to myself, what if there was a way for us to monitor her without it being obvious? That’s where you’re needed.”

“I’m already spying on her, sir.” Does he not remember the instructions he gave him this morning?

“I realize that. But I’m talking bigger than spying. I want you to work directly with her.” X6-88 is a solo flyer, not a team player. She would only slow him down. If only he could refuse.

“This will not be an easy adjustment for you, and I’m sorry, but that’s our only option,” explains Father, “She is already aware of this and is waiting for you at Libertalia.”

“I will report to her immediately,” X6-88 states, understanding the urgency in Father’s voice.

“Excellent. And please make sure she returns in one piece. Her loyalty may be in question, but I do not want to lose her just yet,” Father adds as X6-88 heads downstairs. X6-88 will never understand the love between mothers and fathers and their children. Family is a foreign concept to those born in a lab.

“You can count on me, sir,” X6-88 replies. To Father, it is a reassurance. To X6-88, it's a fact. He will undoubtedly bring Rose back safe.


	3. Rose

The scent of blood is thick in the air, the fresh corpses that litter the ground responsible for the horrible stench. The woman with whom he is assigned to leans against a metal shack, absent-mindedly twisting the knobs on her Pip-Boy. Her stance indicates boredom. Rose glances at him when he materializes. As he approaches her, she corrects her posture so that she’s standing up straight.

“I was beginning to wonder if you’d ever show up,” she muses. “It wouldn’t be a party with a Courser.” Her nonchalance is surprising although not unfounded. Her first encounter with the Institute’s supersoldiers resulted his death, and consequently, her fear of them vanished. It’s disconcerting, to an extent. Coursers are the Institute’s deadliest weapons and if she is entangled with the Brotherhood, she would make a formidable foe.

“Ma’am,” is his only response, prompting Rose to ask him his name. “My designation is X6-88.”

“What a name,” she chuckles. “Parents named me Rose. Like the flower. Man, I miss my garden.” Her eyes cloud over and the corners of her lips dip down in a small frown. It transforms into a smile immediately, leaving X6-88 to wonder if he imagined it.

“You gonna head out, or are you the ‘ladies first’ kinda guy?” she inquires.

“I will lead the way.” Rather him than her. 

“Let it never be said that gentlemen don’t exist,” Rose laughs. It feels strange to have her talk to him in such an informal way. Never had anyone been so comfortable with him. Father and everyone else in the Institute treated him like what he was: a machine. But Rose was different. In a good way, or a bad way, X6-88 did not know.

The rickety bridge sways slightly as X6-88 tiptoes across but doesn’t collapse. A swim in the irradiated water is not included in his mission plans. There's a Raider perched on top of a metal structure. He swings his rifle in the Courser’s direction, preparing to fire. X6-88 is faster and with three flashes of blue, the Raider burns to ashes. Another Raider, upon hearing the commotion, is quick to fire at the duo. Rose stops him dead in his tracks with her 10 mm.

He continues on while Rose collects anything of value off the dead Raiders. Another boat-turned-home harbors a handful of enemies that he, along with his partner, dispatch with ease. Her precision is deadly, like that of a soldier. A Brotherhood soldier, perhaps but impressive nonetheless. Side by side, the two bring a hurricane of death to the unsuspecting Raiders.

“Hold up a moment, ma’am. There’s something important I need to tell you,” he says once they reconvene in the room that leads to the upper deck. Rose had gone back to retrieve the Fat-Man which she now wields proudly. “Don’t worry. I’ve used these before,” she had assured him when she showed it off.

“Lay it on me.”

“I'm going to give you B5-92's reset code. If he hears the code phrase, it'll reset his cognitive processes and make him docile.”

“Is it painful?” 

“No, ma’am. Think of it as a shutoff button for a robot.”

“What’ll happen to him after we bring him back?”

“His cognitive processes will be reset.” She squints at him, her brain slow to translate his statement. Realization hits her and she flinches. His lack of emotion adds to the shock.

“If that is best,” she says through pursed lips. “What is it?”

"You need to say 'B5-92, initialize factory reset' followed by the authorization code 'gamma-7-1-epsilon'.”

“Yes, sir.” There’s a hint of sarcasm in her voice, but X6-88 doesn’t register it. “Anything else?”

“No, ma’am. Ready when you are.”

“After you,” she bows, gesturing him towards the ladder. His expression in unreadable as he ascends to the top of the ship. Rose emerges seconds after him, but the two of them have no time to move before the synth notices them.

"Well done, very impressive. Just like me, you've made it to the top. Suprised to see the Institute is wastin’ their time with folks like us. I—"

“B5-92, initialize factory reset. Authorization gamma-7-1-epsilon,” Rose interjects. His words slur then stop altogether as his head tilts down. He’s frozen. One of the Raiders call out his name tentatively before turning on the two strangers. Gunfire ensues.

Within minutes, it’s silent again. The Raiders lay face down on the floor, dead. Rose busies herself by unlocking the steamer trunk and X6-88 wipes the blood off his face with his sleeve. For a woman lacking X6-88’s superior training, Rose is highly proficient. When he heard she had taken down a Courser, he assumed she had gotten lucky—even though X6-88 didn’t believe in such an absurd concept. After witnessing her in combat, he soon realized that luck had no factor; Rose possessed impressive skills.

“I will be heading back to the Institute now, ma’am,” he informs her while she digs through the pockets of the dead Raiders. “Waste not, want not,” she had said when he was caught eyeing her. If only he had a bottlecap for idiom she uttered.

“Okay,” Rose says with a dismissive wave of her hand. “I’ll be there. Eventually.”

X6-88 grabs B5-92 and, in a flash of blue Rose would become overly familiar with, vanishes. As soon as his feet strike the floor, the runaway is retrieved by a group of Generation 3 synths. The Courser reports back to Ayo first, then Father.

“How did things go?” Of course Father would want more information than Ayo.

“It was a success, sir,” X6-88 replies curtly.

“And what about Rose?”

“She seemed hesitant to recall the synth but did it anyways. If she can understand that synths aren’t human, I believe she could be a valuable asset.”

“Excellent. I'm glad you think so.” X6-88 dismisses himself from the room, but not before Father explains Rose will be his permanent partner.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize for the shortness of this chapter! I've just been so busy with moving and haven't had time to write. I hope you enjoyed it!


End file.
